1. Field of Invention
The present application relates generally to cable installation systems, and more particularly to a cable elevation support system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large diameter electrical cable, wire rope and flexible tubing such as that used to distribute natural gas are usually supplied on large wooden spools or reels. Reels of this type have a cylindrical barrel for winding cable or the like, and a pair of disk-shaped flanges of larger diameter than the barrel at opposite ends of the barrel, for retaining material wound onto the barrel. The combined weight of a reel and the cable, tubing or the like wound onto the reel may exceed several hundred pounds. Accordingly, moving such reels between various locations at a job site can often be a cumbersome and laborious task. Moreover, paying cable or tubing off of a reel, or winding such material back onto a reel, are laborious tasks. One type of prior art device used for handling heavy cable reels includes a pair of laterally opposed parallel rails to receive the circular end plate flanges of the reel. Rollers mounted within the channels rotatably support the rims of the cable reel flanges, allowing the cable to rotate to permit paying out or taking up cable. Such devices provide no means for transporting cable reels.
A variety of other types of devices intended to facilitate the handling of reels or cylindrical objects are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
Pelletier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,679 discloses an identical pair of support stands for lifting a roll of floor covering material from a position on a supporting surface to an elevated position in which the roll is free to rotate, allowing materials to be unrolled. The axle of a carpet roll is supported by upwardly opening yokes, attached to each support stand, which has a short horizontally disposed base leg and a longer vertical standard.
Gebo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,289 discloses a reel stand apparatus for rollably supporting a reel or spool of cable, the apparatus consisting of a pair of stanchions each having a base frame including a pair of short perpendicularly disposed horizontal frame members and a vertical post having a rollable reel axle support.
Setzke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,078 discloses a reel lifting and support device having a pair of identical units each comprising a lower elongated support arm which is initially disposed in a generally horizontal position, a short arm disposed obliquely upwardly from a distal end of the long arm, and a plurality of sockets disposed perpendicularly to the upper portion of the short arm, for receiving support axles for reels of different heights. Each unit also includes a brace unit or beam member pivotably connected to the short arm between the sockets, the brace unit being disposed obliquely downwards towards the long arm and being pivotably attached thereto. A short hollow cylindrical tube disposed transversely across the junction of the long arm and short arm serves as a fulcrum and pivot axis for the apparatus so that when the long arms are pivoted down from an upwardly angled position to a horizontal position, a reel on an axle supported by the sockets is pivoted upwards to a freely rotatable position above the ground, because short arm and the attached sockets are thereby pivoted to a higher altitude.
Arrington, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,601 discloses a reel lift comprising a pair of identical stands, each having a short horizontally disposed angle iron base, a short angle iron upright member depending perpendicularly upwards from the base, a handle rod fastened to and extending parallel upwards from the upright member, and a reel axle support sleeve fastened transversely to one side of the upright member, near its upper end. The front edge of each angle iron base plate serves as a fulcrum or pivot edge when the apparatus with attached cable reel is pivoted from a position in which the handle are angled downwards from an upright vertical position, to a vertical position in which the cable reeling elevated above a support surface to permit its free rotation.
There are other support devices designed for spools or reels. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 442,309 issued to Diamond et al. on Dec. 9, 1890. Another patent was issued to Topp on Jan. 1, 1924 as U.S. Pat. No. 1,479,209. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 1,509,717 was issued to Davis on Sep. 23, 1924 and still yet another was issued on May 14, 1968 to Godson as U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,071. Another patent was issued to Peterson on Jan. 29, 1985 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,028. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,047 was issued to Franks, Jr. on Jun. 21, 1988. Another was issued to Arrington on Jun. 12, 1990 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,601 and still yet another was issued on Dec. 2, 1997 to Holliday as U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,701. Another patent was issued to Honnecke, et al. on Jun. 20, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,780. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,100 was issued to Cloud on Oct. 9, 2001. Another was issued to Standard Telefon Og Kabel-Fabric on Feb. 10, 1960 as United Kingdom No. GB827,826 and still yet another was issued on Aug. 12, 1964 to Clarke as United Kingdom Patent No. GB966,726.
Efforts regarding such systems have led to continuing developments to improve their functionality, versatility, practicality and efficiency.